Hood reflection visor



March 27, 1951 G. R BYBEE HOOD REFLECTION VISOR Filed May 5, 1950Patented Mar. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,546,495 a noonREFLECT'ION vison Genoris R. Bybee, Boise, Idaho application May 5,195o, serial Nn. 160,148

(c1. 29e-sri.)-

2 Claims.

This invention relates to shields and vizors for automobiles, andparticularly to a hood reflection vizor.

An object of this invention is to provide an automobile with a vizorwhich serves as a shield to cut off the glare and reflection of the sunand lights glancing 01T the hood of the car which tend to interfere withfree and clear vision of the road.

`Another object of the invention is to provide a reflection vizor of theindicated character upon the cowling or lower portion on the windshieldon the car in front of the driver inY such position as to cut off hoodreflection without in any way reducing or impairing the necessary rangeof View which must be available to the driver.

A further object is to provide such a reiiection vizor which isshiftable from side to side and adjustable in height to suit varyingconditions.

i' A still further object is to have such a vizor upon an automobilewhich is unobtrusive and in keeping with the high standards ofappearance of the instruments and appurtenances of the car, and bothinstantly accessible and convenient'to use at will.

A still further object of this invention is to make a vizor of this typewhich is simple to manufacture and use and low in cost in order toencourage wide distribution thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in furtherdetail as the specification proceeds.

In order to facilitate ready comprehension of this invention for aproper appreciation of the salient features thereof, the invention isillustrated on the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, and inWhich:

Figure l is a fragmentary elevation of a portion of an automobilelooking forward from the drivers seat, showing the hood reflection vizorin operative position and accessible to the driver of a car;

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevation of the same hood reflection vizor;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the same vizor as seen from the top in Figure2;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section taken on line 4-4 in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a vertical section taken on line 5-5 in Figure 2.

In the views the same reference numerals indicatethe sameor like parts.

Among the several hazards faced by the driver of an automobile or truck,one stands out as inexcusable but seriously annoying and actually loomsasa menace, namely, the reflection of the sun or strong lights upon thehood and radiator top of the car when driving toward the sun or saidlights.. The bright glare or reflection from the hoodjis often so strongas to interfere with aproperview of the road and is altogether inde-Av fpendent of the glare of the headlights of oncomingr automobiles alongthe roadv at nighttime, being thus mainly a daylight hazard becomingacute in the late afternoon when the sun is low.

Upon considering this problem, it has occurred to me that some meansshould be conveniently available for stopping such wholly unnecessaryglare and reflection oif the hood of the car, and as a result I havefound it quite feasible to produce a special hood reiiection vizor whichis adapted to be attached to the automobile in accessible position tothe driver, as will now be set forth in full.

Hence, in the practice of my invention, and referring again to thedrawing, an automobile partly indicated at 6 has a dashboard orinstrument board 'I above which is mounted a windshield frame 8containing two windshield glass lights, 9, 9, the upper part oftheinstrument board 'I meeting or merging with the cowling Il) of the carand scarcely appearing in Figure 1. Upon the upper portion of theinstrument board or cowling, and certainly below the windshield ismounted a bracket I I by means of a pair of screws I2 of a vizorgenerally indicated at I3 having a split tube I4 from which may beupwardly extended an opaque flexible curtain I5, as indicated in brokenlines at I6 in Figure 1. The elongated split tube I4 is provided uponthe near side and the far side as well with a pair of grooves I1, I8which extend the entire length of the tube. The bracket II is providedat the upper end thereof with a clamping yoke having two arcuateclamping portions I9, 20, as best seen in Figure 5, ter-` minating atthe upper edges in a pair of inwardlyextending opposite flanges 2 I, 22which normally extend slidably into the grooves I1, I3 of the split tubeI 4. The latter has a longitudinal open' ing 23 along the upper portionthereof, one of the edges 24 being bent inwardly and rounded to reducefriction and facilitate the extension of curtain I5 therefrom orWithdrawal into the sleeve or tube I4 without damage to the curtainWithin the sleeve is located a roller 25 having a groove 26 into whichthe inner end of curtain I5 introduced and secured, the curtain normallybeing rolled at 21 about roller 25 and extending varying distances upfrom tube I4 as adjusted by the driver. y

-In order to provide .means for adjusting the f curtain or vizor shieldI5, the roller 2 5 is provided at both ends with a pair of studs 28, 28extending into a pair ofend knobs v29, 29 and secured thereto by meansof a pair of pins 30,30, so that rotation of either knob by hand willcause .IQllel ,25 to rotate therewith. .The inner ends,

of knobs 29 are provided with recessed cylindrical shoulders 3|, 3|fitting rotatably within the ends of split tube I4 so that roller 25 andthe knobs will thus be centered and rotate while the tube I4 remainsfixed, the upper flanges 2|, 22 of the clamping portions I9 and 20 onbracket Il serving to preventgfrotatiorr ofygtube- I4 with the knobs 29-and-roller 25. If desired, ythe upper end of the curtain or flexiblevizor shield I5 may be nished with reinforcing edge material, such"l asa metal band or fabric strip 32,-shown` in Figure 2, or suchreinforcement may be omitted altogether, and the upper end of curtainI5-:may simply' be trimmed to suit. If either knobl 2 9 is rotatedcounter-clockwise, as viewedin Figure 5, the roller 25 will cause theturns 2l of curtain shield |5 to rise up through opening 23 whileridingonthe-roundedvedge 2li,` whereas if the knobs are turned to rotateroller 25 clockwise in Figure 5, .curtain I 5 will be withdrawnnintotube lgandgrolled up on Vroller 25. :The curtainshield-iswpreferablymade of at least slightly yflexible material whichisfsufcientlystiif, however, to remain-uprightwhen extendedupwardlythrough the opening or slot 23 in-tube I4, such material being:preferably aflexible or semi-flexible Yplastic, such as one ofthecellulose `base .plastics or Vinylite, or-anyother material thatwilll serve the purpose, the curtain being necessarily-opaque orvery'nearly so; so that bright light willnot betransmitted therethrough.

Bracket I| has been illustrated vvirtually as a curvedplate-which isdraw-n flat when screws I2, |-2-.are ,inserted into holes 33, 33thereof, but it may.A be .made flat and Ofrigidsheetmetal or even ofav,doubledslfreetimetal, if desired.

Asidefrom the vertical adjustment of .theV curtainy |-5 v-hich ispossible by manipulation of eitheruknobl, the tube as a whole isslidably held by clamping -portions lit-and of bracketinfsuchfashon.that-this tube I4 may be slid either to the-right or tothey left inorder to shift the curtain 'when vextended upwardly. tocover any-area of reflectionoccurring from the hood offthe Vc,:ar,ftheprojecting'flanges 2| and 22 o5 the clam-ping portions slidably-ttinginto grooves Ifl and |,8 allowingsuch' shift and longitudinal adjustmentof the tube withritsl-roller andcurtain.

-When the curtain is fully withdrawn into the tube, it will, offcourse,be entirely unobtrusive and'such-'position of thecurtain'will serveduring a-large .part of the day, but when the sunbegins to inclinetoward -the horizon inthe afternoon and .feveningand the car is driventoward the s un, apartial or-full-turn of theknobs 25Jv willraisegcurtain |-5 -just sufciently to cut off the glare orreiiectionfromlthe hood andV radiator of the car without` subtractingany portion ofthe mroper'view ofthe road, .and as the adjustmentis.also'fposiblelaterally of-gthe shield as a whole, it; willfserve tovcompletely block all-,annoyllggreflections and glare fromA lthe forwardparts of fthe car.

.Theroller 25-and the knobs Zumay obviously 'beimadeof;anymaterialfsuitable for the -purpose-,; such materials; as -wood or;fp1astic--being suggested, or even light metal may be used', HTheSpliitfillbe; as well asfrthefgbracket |I with,Y its"clampingportionsgrmay' also. be made of plastic, :but metal :W

clamping portions, an elongated tubular member having `falongitudinalslot in the upper portion l.thereof,exteriding from end to end and apair of opposite longitudinal grooves upon the front andrear ,sidesthereof in which the flanges upon the clamping portions engage slidablyto allow longitudinal shifting oradjustment ofthe tubular Vmember withrespect to thebracket, aroller rotatably located within said tubularmember, means upon the ends ofthe roller V`exposed upon thepends of saidtubulargmember for manually rotating said roller including a pair ofstudson the ends of the roller, knobs fixed on the vstuds and havinginwardly-directed reduced portions.

extending rotatably,into the ends of said tubular member, and-a flexibleVcurtain of sheet material at least partly Woundupon and attached to theroller with the outer end thereof-normally projecting upwardly throughVthe longitudinal slot in said tubularvmemberand being extensible to gvariable extents upwardly therefrom.

v2. A hood reflection yizor; for ar1vautomobile including `a plateforming @bracket adapted to be attached t0 a portion of; thelatter`adjtent to the windshield thereofhthe platefhaving a l pair ofupwardly-extending ,arcuate integral clamping portions forming-a yoke, apair ofopposite inwardly-extending horizontal fianges upon the upperedgesofthey clamping portions, an elongated tubular member having alongitudinal slot in the upper portion thereof with one-edge along saidslot being yturned inwardly and rounded, said tubular` member having Vapair of opposite longitudinal grooves upon the front and rear sidesthereof in which the flanges upon -the clamping portions engage slidablyto allowlongitudinal shifting or adjustment of the tubular member withrespect to the bracket, a roller rotatable within saidtubular member,means including a pair of hemispherical knobs exposed upon the ends ofsaid tubulary member for manually rotating said roller, a-pair of studson the ends of the Vroller supporting said knobs and rigidly securedthereto,v a :pair of inwardly'directed reduced portions upon -theginnerends of-sad knobs extending rotatably Yintov the ends ofsaid tubularmember and abutting the ends of fthe roller, and -a-flexible curtain ofsheet material at least partly wound upon and attached to the rollerwithVV the outerendthereof; normally 7 'projecting throughthelongitudinal slot in said tubular member and upwardly extensible tovariable extent therefrom.

-GENORIS R. BYBEE;

REFERENCES: vCITED The following references are of record i-n the fileof this patent:

